Forepart filler for shoes



April 9, 1935. J, F. GILKERSON FOREPART FILLER FOR SHOES Filed Oct. 7, 1933 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 9, 1935 PATENT OFFICE v 1.996.911 ronrmn'r Emma roa snoas James F. Gilkerson, Milwaukee, Wis.; said James F. Gilkerson, deceased, assignor, by decree of distribution, to Margaret A. Gilkerson Application October -'1,

2 Claims.

' Littleway, nailed, standard screw and the cement process or Compo shoes.

The object of the invention is to produce .a one piece forepart filler for boots and shoes of the above named type which will eliminate certain objectionable features in this type of shoes. More particularly the filler which is of sponge rubber will-prevent the crawling or bunching of the insole commonly occurring with the ordinary filler after the shoe has been worn for a short time and thus prevent the formation of an uneven surface under the foot of the wearer; will eliminate squeaking which is so common in this type of shoe since the rubber filler prevents-sliding contact of leather parts causing this condition; will resist moisture; assure uniform flexibility; prevent airpockets which cause ridges to form underneath the foot; and will assure an even wear to the outer sole of the'shoe.

The ordinary filler extends only between the edges of the lasted over parts of the upper materials thus forming a filler for only a portion of,

the surface of the insole upon which the foot rests. The. edges of the ordinary filler being loose at all extremities there is nothing to prevent it from shifting and causing lumps inside the shoe which in many cases causes much discomfort to the wearer. According to the present invention the filler which may be fastened to the inner sole by adhesive, also has an anchoring edge portion extending to the edges of the insole at all points of the forepart and over which the upper materials are lasted, this edge portion merging smoothly with the main portion of the filler, so that the lasted over upper materials fit into the recess provided by this edge and a smooth bottom for the shoe is assured. Furthermore, since the upper materials are lasted over the extended edge of the filler the main portion of the filler is thicker than the usual fillers and a cushion is also provided for the lasted over upper materials. Also the filler is permanently fastened at its edge thus eliminating all possibility of the filler shifting and causing lumps under the foot with the objections incident thereto as previously pointed out.

The present application also deals with a filler shown and described in my co-pending application Serial No. 648,154 filed December 21, 1932 and may be considered in part as divisional subject matter from this application.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter set forth and more per- 1933, Serial No. 692,578

ticularly defined by claims hereof.

In the drawing:

Fig. l is a bottom plan view of a shoe incorporating a filler embodying the invention, parts being broken away and parts being shown, in section;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the improved forepa filler;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view of the forepart filler shown in Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 5 designates generally the new and improved forepart filler for shoes of the type previously described. This filler which is of cushioning material, preferably sponge rubber, has a main filler portion 6 and an upper receiving recessed portion 1 which also acts as a cushion and as an anchoring portion whose outer edge conforms in contour sub-- stantially to .the contour or shape of the forepart of the inner sole 8 of the shoe. The improved filler is formed in one piece either by molding it in the desired form or by cutting it out of sheet material and forming the recessed portion with the aid of suitable machinery.

In using the filler, it is preferably fastened at all points to the under side of the inner sole 8 so that there will be no tendency of the edges of the inner sole to turn up and then the inner sole is tacked on the last 9 and the upper materials including the upper Ill and its lining II are lasted over the'portion l of the filler 5 and secured'in lasted position by suitable fastening means, such as the staples I 2. through the lasted over parts of the shoe and the portion 1 of the filler and into the inner sole 8, it being noted that the recessed. portion I receives the upper materials so that a substantially level and smooth bottom for the shoe is provided after the same is lasted.

In addition to the adhesive fastening of the filler to the inner sole the edge or recessed portion 1 may be permanently fastened to the inner sole by staples 13 or other suitable fastening means before the inner sole is placed on the last.

In either case after lasting, the outer sole I4 is fastened to'the shoe in accordance with the regular practice in the making of McKay, Littleway, nailed or Compo shoes. In the McKay or Littleway shoes, the outer sole is secured to the forepart of the shoe by stitching l5 passing through the edge It of said outer sole and the lasted over parts of the upper materials and through at the conclusion These fastening means pass filler by suitable adhesive so as to act as a unit therewith. It is also to be noted that the filler portion 6 is thicker than the usual fillers since it is thicker than the thickness of the lasted over upper materials.

From the foregoing description, it will be noted that the use of this filler not only results in a shoe that is cushioned in the center of the bottom, but as the cushion material extends outward beyond the fastening means to the extreme edge of the leather inner sole, there is a permanently secured cushion which extends over the entire forepart of the shoe and neither this cushion nor the inner sole can shift relative to the other parts of the shoe. I

I desire it to be understood that this invention is not to be limited to descriptive details hereinbefore set forth except in so far as the same are specifically included in the claims.

I;What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a shoe having a shape-determining insole, an outer sole, and an upper, the combination therewith of a resilient iorepart filler of substantially the same size and shape 01' the insole with which said filler is used, said filler being independently connected to said inner sole and having a main filler portion and a marginal portion having a recess on the bottom side thereof to provide an upper receiving portion of less thickness than said main filler portion, the upper being lasted over and attached to the marginal edges of said filler and insole to form a substantially level bottom surface to which the outer sole is attached.

2. In a shoe having a shape-determining insole, an outer sole, and an upper, the combination therewith of a resilient forepart filler coextensive with said insole and attached thereto throughout substantially its entire area, said filler being independently connected to said inner sole and having a main filler portion and an upper receiving marginal recess of less thickness than said main filler portion, a bottom covering of relatively smooth, strong material adhesively attached to said filler, the upper being lasted over onto said recessed marginal portion and attached to said insole by means passing through 'said filler to form a substantially level bottom surface to which the outer sole is attached.

' JAMES F. GILKERSON. 

